Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth

Choloepus hoffmanni

A slow, upside-down rainforest sloth of Central America and northwestern South America that sleeps about 15 hours a day.

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About the Hoffmann's Two-Toed Sloth

Hoffmann's two-toed sloths live in lowland rainforests from Costa Rica and Panama to northwestern Colombia and Ecuador. They are 21 to 29 inches long and weigh 9 to 20 pounds. They eat only leaves and some fruit. Sloths sleep about 15 hours a day and wake after sunset. Their long, hooked claws hold them to branches even while they sleep, and their fur grows from belly to back so rain runs off.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Choloepus hoffmanni^[1]
Size: 21 to 29 inches long.^[1]
Weight: 9 to 20 pounds.^[1]
Lifespan: About 20 years in the wild. Up to 40 in zoos.^[1]
Diet: Herbivore. Mostly tree leaves and some fruit.^[1]
Habitat: Lowland rainforest.^[1]
Where it lives: Costa Rica, Panama, northwestern Colombia and Ecuador.^[1]
Group life: Not very social. Active at night; sleeps about 15 hours a day.^[1]
Babies: One baby after up to 12 months. It clings to its mother's fur.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2013).^[2]

Fun facts

Sloths eat, sleep and even give birth while hanging upside down.^[1]
A sloth's fur grows from its belly toward its back, the opposite of most mammals.^[1]
Sloth teeth are brown and have no enamel.^[1]
A sloth's claws can hold it on a branch even while it sleeps.^[1]

Vocabulary

metabolism: How fast the body uses energy.
algae: Simple plant-like living things that grow in water or damp places.
nocturnal: Active at night and resting during the day.
claw: A sharp, curved nail on an animal's foot.
arboreal: Living mostly in trees.

See it in person

Zoo AtlantaAtlanta, Georgia · All AnimalsSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Zoo Atlanta. “Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth.” https://zooatlanta.org/animal/hoffmanns-two-toed-sloth/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Choloepus hoffmanni (Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4778/47439751 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

More Sloths and Anteaters

Giant AnteaterMyrmecophaga tridactylaA toothless insect-eater of Central and South America that flicks its 2-foot tongue up to 150 times a minute.Southern Three-Banded ArmadilloTolypeutes matacusA small South American armadillo, the only kind that can roll up into a complete armored ball.Two-Toed SlothCholoepus didactylusAn upside-down rainforest mammal of Central and South America that sleeps about 15 hours a day and grows algae in its fur.